Exogenous neurotrophic factors, delivered by various systems, are used to improve nerve regeneration. This study tested the effectiveness of a polymeric membrane loaded with Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) on mental nerve regeneration after a crush injury in rats. We tested NGF application, known to play a role in afferent fiber repair in dental neurobiology, to see if it could improve the regeneration. Afferent neurogram recordings and histological analyses of the trigeminal ganglion neurons were performed. One month after the crush injury, early regeneration was observed independently of exogenous NGF. However, as compared with the activity level recorded before the injury, the afferent activity was reduced by 28.5% without NGF, and the mean number of labeled neurons decreased. With NGF, activity was increased by 30.8%, with no significant histological difference compared with animals without lesions. NGF application through a polymeric membrane can influence degenerative and/or regenerative processes after a crush injury.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Berg MC, Zhai L, Cohen RE, Rubner MF -2006-. Controlled drug release from porous polyelectrolyte multilayers. Biomacromolecules7:357–364.
2.
Berger RL, Byers MR, Calkins DF -1983-. Dental nerve regeneration in rats. I. Electrophysiological studies of molar sensory deficit and recovery. Pain15:345–357.
3.
Boyd JG, Gordon T -2003-. Neurotrophic factors and their receptors in axonal regeneration and functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury. Mol Neurobiol27:277–324.
4.
Buchman VL, Davies AM -1993-. Different neurotrophins are expressed and act in a developmental sequence to promote the survival of embryonic sensory neurons. Development118:989–1001.
5.
Chudler EH, Anderson LC, Byers MR -1997-. Trigeminal ganglion neuronal activity and glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity after inferior alveolar nerve crush in the adult rat. Pain73:141–149.
6.
De-Doncker L, Kasri M, Falempin M -2006-. Soleus motoneuron excitability after rat hindlimb unloading using histology and a new electrophysiological approach to record a neurographic analogue of the H-reflex. Exp Neurol201:368–374.
7.
Fried K, Nosrat C, Lillesaar C, Hildebrand C -2000-. Molecular signaling and pulpal nerve development. Crit Rev Oral Biol Med11:318–332.
8.
Frostick SP, Yin Q, Kemp GJ -1998-. Schwann cells, neurotrophic factors, and peripheral nerve regeneration. Microsurgery18:397–405.
9.
Hildebrand C, Fried K, Tuisku F, Johansson CS -1995-. Teeth and tooth nerves. Prog Neurobiol45:165–222.
10.
Holland GR -1996-. Experimental trigeminal nerve injury. Crit Rev Oral Biol Med7:237–258.
11.
Huang EJ, Wilkinson GA, Farinas I, Backus C, Zang K, Wong SL, et al. -1999-. Expression of Trk receptors in the developing mouse trigeminal ganglion: in vivo evidence for NT-3 activation of TrkA and TrkB in addition to TrkC. Development126:2191–2203.
12.
Imai T, Atsumi Y, Matsumoto K, Yura Y, Wakisaka S -2003-. Regeneration of periodontal Ruffini endings of rat lower incisors following nerve cross-anastomosis with mental nerve. Brain Res992:20–29.
13.
Lewin GR, Ritter AM, Mendell LM -1993-. Nerve growth factor-induced hyperalgesia in the neonatal and adult rat. J Neurosci13:2136–2148.
14.
Loescher AR, Smith KG, Robinson PP -2003-. Nerve damage and third molar removal. Dent Update30:375–380.
15.
Maniwa S, Iwata A, Hirata H, Ochi M -2003-. Effects of neurotrophic factors on chemokinesis of Schwann cells in culture. Scand J Plast Reconstr Surg Hand Surg37:14–17.
16.
McMahon SB, Armanini MP, Ling LH, Phillips HS -1994-. Expression and coexpression of Trk receptors in subpopulations of adult primary sensory neurons projecting to identified peripheral targets. Neuron12:1161–1171.
17.
Mendell LM, Albers KM, Davis BM -1999-. Neurotrophins, nociceptors, and pain. Microsc Res Tech45:252–261.
18.
Naftel JP, Qian XB, Bernanke JM -1994-. Effects of postnatal anti-nerve growth factor serum exposure on development of apical nerves of the rat molar. Brain Res Dev Brain Res80:54–62.
19.
Naftel JP, Richards LP, Pan M, Bernanke JM -1999-. Course and composition of the nerves that supply the mandibular teeth of the rat. Anat Rec256:433–447.
20.
Oudega M, Hagg T -1996-. Nerve growth factor promotes regeneration of sensory axons into adult rat spinal cord. Exp Neurol140:218–229.
21.
Qian XB, Naftel JP -1996-. Effects of neonatal exposure to anti-nerve growth factor on the number and size distribution of trigeminal neurones projecting to the molar dental pulp in rats. Arch Oral Biol41:359–367.
22.
Robinson PP -1988-. Observations on the recovery of sensation following inferior alveolar nerve injuries. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg26:177–189.
23.
Robinson PP, Loescher AR, Yates JM, Smith KG -2004-. Current management of damage to the inferior alveolar and lingual nerves as a result of removal of third molars. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg42:285–292.
24.
Rosner BI, Siegel RA, Grosberg A, Tranquillo RT -2003-. Rational design of contact guiding, neurotrophic matrices for peripheral nerve regeneration. Ann Biomed Eng31:1383–1401.
25.
Sandstedt P, Sörensen S -1995-. Neurosensory disturbances of the trigeminal nerve: a long-term follow-up of traumatic injuries. J Oral Maxillofac Surg53:498–505.
26.
Santos X, Rodrigo J, Hontanilla B, Bilbao G -1998-. Evaluation of peripheral nerve regeneration by nerve growth factor locally administered with a novel system. J Neurosci Methods85:119–127.
27.
Strauss ER, Ziccardi VB, Janal MN -2006-. Outcome assessment of inferior alveolar nerve microsurgery: a retrospective review. J Oral Maxillofac Surg64:1767–1770.
28.
Stucky CL, Koltzenburg M, Schneider M, Engle MG, Albers KM, Davis BM -1999-. Overexpression of nerve growth factor in skin selectively affects the survival and functional properties of nociceptors. J Neurosci19:8509–8516.
29.
Tezcaner A, Hicks D, Boulmedais F, Sahel J, Schaaf P, Voegel JC, et al. -2006-. Polyelectrolyte multilayer films as substrate for photoreceptor cells. Biomacromolecules7:86–94.
30.
Toda K, Ishii N, Nakamura Y -1997-. Characteristics of mucosal nociceptors in the rat oral cavity: an in vitro study. Neurosci Lett228:95–98.
31.
Verze L, Paraninfo A, Viglietti-Panzica C, Panzica GC, Ramieri G -2003-. Expression of neuropeptides and growth-associated protein 43 -GAP-43- in cutaneous and mucosal nerve structures of the adult rat lower lip after mental nerve section. Ann Anat185:35–44.
32.
Vodouhe C, Schmittbuhl M, Boulmedais F, Bagnard D, Vautier D, Schaaf P, et al. -2005-. Effect of functionalization of multilayered polyelectrolyte films on motoneuron growth. Biomaterials26:545–554.
33.
Windebank AJ, Poduslo JF -1986-. Neuronal growth factors produced by adult peripheral nerve after injury. Brain Res385:197–200.
